The present invention relates to a system and method for providing a user with subscriber content data utilizing a remote control device which interacts with a service provider and set-top box over respective transmission paths. More specifically, the remote control device is smart card activated and enabled to provide a high level of security for the transmission of requests for subscriber content data and the transmission of the requested subscriber content data.
As advances are made in communications, especially wireless communications, and as efforts have been made to provide even more convenience for consumers, personal service providers have entered the homes and offices of their customers by providing their services by computer, television and other such multimedia terminals.
Examples of such services offered in the home include, but are certainly not limited to, personal banking, shopping and entertainment, which further includes pay-per-view programming and interactive video games.
To that end, European Patent Application EP 0 776 132 A2 describes an interactive television system in which service providers are able to provide services such as entertainment programs to users and also conduct electronic user polls, by utilizing terminals which communicate bidirectionally with a central computer. Each user of a terminal in the system is able to request services or even participate in polling by using a remote control apparatus. Furthermore, each remote control apparatus is registered to the respective user thereof, so that any message data issued by the respective remote control apparatus is accompanied by identifier information read out from a memory thereof for identifying the particular transmitting remote control apparatus. Individual user recognition by the remote control device can also be implemented using a plug-in IC card interface or fingerprint recognition section.
More particularly, the remote control apparatus has a personal information storage section, with a remote control apparatus identifier stored therein to identify that specific remote control apparatus. Thus, before sending any messages data from a user""s assigned remote control apparatus, the user must first input a password in order to use the remote control apparatus.
Further, the remote control apparatus may include an encryption processing section by which the user""s personal information can first be encrypted, and the encrypted code is then transmitted in place of the user""s personal information in the transmitted data message.
Further still, in an effort to prohibit unauthorized users from using the specifically assigned remote control apparatus, the remote control apparatus may also include an interface section, or receptacle, for a plug-in IC (integrated circuit) card which enables the IC to be electrically connected via a data input port to a CPU (central processing unit). Thus, a user of the remote control apparatus must first insert the appropriate IC into the interface section, so that the CPU can execute processing to compare identification data stored on the IC with the user-specifying code stored in the remote control apparatus, to thereby effect recognition of the authorized user.
According to such embodiments, in order to request services through an interactive television system, a user thereof must therefore use a specifically assigned remote control apparatus which has user personal information stored therein in order to conduct interactive processing using a remote control apparatus.
Thus, existing security features of the interactive television system utilizing remote control apparatuses intended to prohibit non-designated users from using the specifically assigned remote control apparatus include (1) having a user enter a password to the remote control apparatus in order to activate the remote control apparatus, (2) attaching encrypted user-identification information to data messages transmitted from the remote control apparatus, and (3) comparing user identification information stored in the remote control apparatus with user identification information stored in a CPU by mounting an IC on the remote control apparatus which is connected to the CPU in order to perform the user identification information comparison.
However, the prior art is unable to ensure security of interactive transactions, including data requests and data transmissions between the user of a remote control apparatus and a service provider.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an interactive multimedia personal service system in which a user utilizes a smart-card activated and enabled remote control device to interact with a service provider, via a set-top box, utilizing respective transmission paths, to securely request and receive subscriber content data.
The present invention relates to an interactive subscriber content data system which provides secure interaction between a user""s remote control device, a set-top box and a service provider. An end user of the system holds a remote control device which may be a system-specific remote control device or a personal hand-held device, a hand-held pager or a wireless telephone.
The remote control device provides secure transmissions for requests of subscriber content data since the remote control device is activated by the insertion of a user""s personalized smart card into a reader which has contacts which contact corresponding contacts on a surface of the smart card. The smart card includes a security chip which includes personalized identification information for activating the remote control device, and further includes both a public key and a private key for encryption and decryption purposes, respectively.
After the user has activated the remote control device by inserting his or her personalized smart card into the reader, the user enters a request for subscriber content data using a key-pad or a smart touch pad on the remote control device. The request for subscriber content data as well as the user""s public key, which is stored on the user""s smart card, are then transmitted to the service provider over a first transmission path which is a two-way transmission path which includes a short message service (SMS).
In response to the request for subscriber content data from the user""s remote control device, the following embodiments are provided, although the invention is not at all limited thereto.
In a first response embodiment, the service provider receives the user""s transmitted public key, encrypts a secret key corresponding to the service provider, and transmits the encrypted secret key corresponding to the service provider back to the remote control device, via the same two-way connection between the remote control device and the service provider on which the request for the subscriber content data was originally transmitted.
Upon receiving the encrypted secret key which has been encrypted using the user""s public key from the service provider, the remote control device decrypts the service provider""s secret key using the user""s private key which is stored on the user""s smart card. The remote control device then transmits the decrypted secret key corresponding to the service provider to a set-top box over a second transmission path which is a two-way connection between the remote control device and the set-top box. The two-way transmission path between the remote control device and the set-top box includes encrypted transmission connections such as a bluetooth connection.
The set-top box is a multi-media terminal which receives the requested subscriber content data from the service provider over a third transmission path. The third transmission path is a one-way broadcasting path from the service provider to the set-top box including a digital video broadcasting transmission (DVB-T). The requested content data is decrypted at the set-top box after the set-top box has received both the subscriber content data which has been encrypted by the service provider""s secret key over the third transmission path and the decrypted secret key corresponding to the service provider from the remote control device over the second transmission path. Then the encrypted requested subscriber content data is decrypted and is then ready for display and/or further interactive activity ordered by the user of the remote control device.
In a second embodiment, after the request for subscriber content data and the user""s public key have been transmitted from the user""s remote control device to the service provider over the first transmission path, the service provider encrypts the secret key corresponding to the service provider using the user""s transmitted public key and also encrypts the requested subscriber content data using the secret key. Then, the service provider transmits to the set-top box both the encrypted secret key corresponding to the service provider which has been encrypted using the user""s public key and the requested subscriber content data which has been encrypted using the service provider""s secret key. The transmission from the service provider to the set-top box is made over the third transmission path, which is the one-way transmission path from the service provider to the set-top box.
The set-top box then transmits the encrypted secret key to the remote control device over the second transmission path which includes the two-way encrypted connection between the set-top box and the remote control device. Upon receiving the encrypted secret key, the remote control device decrypts the service provider""s secret key using the user""s private key which is stored on the user""s smart card. The remote control device then transmits the decrypted secret key corresponding to the service provider back to the set-top box over the second transmission path, thus enabling the encrypted subscriber content data to be decrypted at the set-top box using the service provider""s secret key. The decrypted subscriber content data is then ready for display and/or further interactive activity ordered by the user of the remote control device.
It is noted that the transmission paths described above connecting the remote control device and the service provider, the remote control device and the set-top box, and the service provider and the set-top box, respectively, are the same for both embodiments described above.